Punctuating Quotations

Learning Goals:Correctly use single and double quotation marks when writing.Correctly place punctuation marks when using quotation marks when writing.

Important to Know:Double and Single - What's the Difference?Use quotation marks to show the exact words of a speaker or source. Use single quotation marks (' ') for a quotation within a quotation.Example: “The sign,” said the librarian, “plainly states, 'No cell phones in the library,' so I will have to confiscate that phone.”

But Where does the Period, Comma, Excalamation point, Question Mark (Punctutation) go?Generally, put periods and commas inside closing quotations marks. Put other punctuation marks, such as exclamation marks, question marks, semicolons, and colons, outside unless they are part of the original quotation.

Examples: What did she mean when she said, “I don't want interpretations; I just want the facts”?Did Parvati just say, “I quit”?Janice asked, “Are you going to quit?”I can't believe this guy calls himself “the greatest Elvis impersonator ever”!The mayor demanded, “Show me the verbal contract!”

The Finer Art of DialogueFor words introducing the speaker in a quotation or written dialogue, follow these models for proper punctuation and capitalization.Examples:They said, “We're lost, but we're making record time.”“We're lost,” they said, “but we're making record time.”“We're lost, but we're making record time,” they said.“We're lost,” they said. “However, we're making record time.”Quoting from a Source - this is where is gets A LOT more complicatedRead through the following information to get a full sense of the intricacies of how to do this properly: http://www.english.ucalgary.ca/grammar/guide/quotations.htmActivities:In your notebook, rewrite the following quotations, correcting any errors in punctuation. Change capitalization where necessary.

“It is equally true, I should add, continued Mackenize King, that if countries have too much history, we have too much geography.”